The invention relates to an installation for stacking plate-like elements, in particular fibre plates, with an infeed conveyor supporting the elements.
Such an installation, in particular intended for stacking light elements such as fibre plates (glassfibre plates), is known in practice. It comprises two elongated cylindrical receiving elements, the axes of rotation of which lie parallel to the infeed direction of the plate-like elements, in each of which elements a part bounded by two radial faces is recessed, and which elements are situated above the receiving table on which the plates are to be stacked. An infed plate ultimately lies with each of the two opposite end edges in the recessed cylinder part; as soon as the plate has come to a standstill, the two cylinders are turned through a quarter turn in opposite directions, with the result that the plate is ejected downwards.
The disadvantage of this known stacking installation is that receiving each infed plate, slowing it down and bringing it to a standstill, followed by rotating the two receiving cylinders through 90.degree. takes a certain amount of time, which, of course, limits the infeed speed of the infed plates. If the speed at which individual plates are manufactured is greater than the speed at which the plates for stacking with this known installation can be processed--which is particularly the case with glassfibre plates--the infeed conveyor has to be divided into two or more partial conveyors situated behind one another, each ending in a stacking station of the type described above. It is clear that this not only results in an expensive plant, but also considerably increases the overall area taken up by the plant.
DE-A-3 736 686 shows a stacking device for packets comprising buffer stations but without a level switch. DE 2 44 3781 describes a stacking device for corrugated paper plates with two, mutually independent supply conveyors, one above the other and each with its own stacking station.